"A Winter Climate for Invalids"

Early Florida Medicine

Transcript

[page 1]

1

(ca. 1883) handwritten pencil
(7.00)

A WINTER CLIMATE FOR INVALIDS-
A Gulf Coast of Florida
By R.J. Levis, M.D.
From "The Continent."

The season is at hand when those who, like the birds
of summer, take annually their flight southward, will be
thinking of running away from winter. There are many
who seek genial air and sunlit waters for pleasure only,
others to escape from the chilling discomforts of winter;
and the great invalid corps, turning its back on cold and
death when the leaves fall, makes its pilgrimage to sunny
lands.
In the choice of a climate for invalids in general, there
are certain health-giving factors which may be summed up
as equability of temperature, purity of atmosphere and compara-
tive dryness.
I regard it as essential for most invalids that the tem-
perature shall be such that they may be able to remain for
an indefinite time out in the open air without discomfort,
and to freely permit it to enter their apartments at all hours
of the day and night.
The general prevalence of bright, clear, sunny days,
with the rarity of cloudiness and a light rainfall, are essen-
tials of a winter health resort for lung diseases. The physic-
ological, and specially the stimulating and cutrophic effects
of sunlight on the human system, are well recognized;
but, owing to the in-door habits of invalids, are too little
regarded.
The discomfort and depression produced by the preva-
lence of violent winds are familiar to most conditions of
invalidism, and climates of continuous and moderate air-
movements are found to be the most desirable.
FLORIDA STATE LIBRARY

Florida Memory is funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services.